


Kuro V.S. Takashi

by 0ya_script4



Series: Voltron: Legendary Writing Prompts [8]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Asexual Pidge | Katie Holt, Bilingual Lance (Voltron), Bisexual Shiro (Voltron), Blue Paladin Allura (Voltron), Cuban Lance (Voltron), F/M, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Gay Keith (Voltron), Hunk & Lance (Voltron) Friendship, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Hurt Shiro (Voltron), Insecure Lance (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, M/M, Minor Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Pining Keith (Voltron), Sad Shiro (Voltron), Sassy Pidge | Katie Holt, Shiro (Voltron) is Missing, Slow Burn, Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), Space Uncle Coran (Voltron), Wild Ride, but found, kuro - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-04
Updated: 2017-08-10
Packaged: 2018-12-11 03:51:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11706243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0ya_script4/pseuds/0ya_script4
Summary: Shiro's back and has been back for four months. But everyone starts to question him once another Shiro shows up.----ON HOLD





	1. Introduction

“What is that?” Pidge asked, jolting the team to an oncoming ship

“A...ship?” Lance said shrugging his shoulders wondering if the space goo was finally getting to Pidge’s head.

“Why don’t we go check it out? They might be allies.” Shiro stood strong at the helm, his eyes fixated on the team he was just reunited with four months ago. His smile warm but slightly nerving. He felt like the same Shiro to some of the team, but at the same time he had this atmosphere around him that smelled of a stranger and no one could put their finger on it.

Keith felt awkward around Shiro, around his husband. He felt uncomfortable and as if Shiro wasn’t there. In his mind, he dubbed him Kuro or the opposite of Shiro. But Keith knew that he had to be overthinking it, right? There couldn’t be two Shiro’s around. There is no way that there is a twin that Shiro never talked about nor is there a way to clone anyone even in space.

“Go forward, but do not engage, Coran,” Shiro--Kuro--said in a soft tone as he turned his back to his team and stared at the ship unwavering from its course.

“Ca-----lion----board?”

“Could you repeat?” Coran opened communications. A picture of what could only be explained as four Space Pirates appeared on the screen. All different species and only one with an alien-like helmet on.

“Castle of Lions, this is Vargi Tull’o, we are a rebel force against the Galra and have found something that we believe belongs to you. He is currently unconscious but he should be awake when we board. May we board?”

Pidge’s first thought could be that it was Matt, with all her messages that she sent she could only hope that he was finally brought to her, but she also knew that he was on the outer reaches of the system and out of range of her transmission.

“The Paladins of Voltron will meet you in the Hanger, do not try anything.” Allura said cutting the communication and then looked down to the paladins, “I do not know what they could have that they would think ‘he’ would belong to us. So let’s use the utmost precaution, we do not know what to expect.”

The others nodded their head. The five paladins went towards their rooms and started getting dressed. Keith and Shiro made it to their room and got dressed in silence. This is how Keith figured something was wrong, _his_ Shiro knew how much he hated silence between the two. _His_ Shiro would joke and poke at him as they got dressed, not undress him with a glare and smirk an unpleasant and chilling smirk.

Keith had Shiro on his tail until the two merged with the other three. Keith didn’t like that he didn’t feel safe with his husband, but it’s not like he was going to bring it up to a man that he’s not even sure he knows. He’s not even sure of his capabilities…

“A small pod is docking,” Hunk called, trying to note to everyone to either panic or pull out their weapons. Allura rested her hand on Hunk’s shoulder trying to calm him as the pod settled down and slowly opened up.

“Hello, Paladins,” One of the four said as he walked out and two followed him, “I am Kill’u and this is Hol’o and Jun’un. The fourth is grabbing the item that belongs to you.”

“I am Allura, Princess of Altea and the Paladin to the Blue lion. These are Lance, Hunk, Pidge, Keith and Shiro, the other Paladins.”

“I did not know that there were two of them,” The one thought to be Jun’un commented

“What do you mean?” Allura questioned

“The tall one, with black armor. We have him on our ship too.” Jun’un explained, “We found him attacking a Galra ship all by himself in the same black armor. He was doing quite well too.”

“That was until Ma’olt distracted him.” Hol’o joked and made the three smile.

“You have….. Shiro?” Lance asked

“No,” Keith commented, trying to convince himself more than anyone, “WE have Shiro.”

“Yeah, we found the Castle, just like you asked--” A voice said as it walked out of the pod, a smaller, but a thick and muscular body, tried to support another much larger body as the two walked down the ramp.

“I’m totally lost….” Lance said as the six looked to the one hanging off who was dubbed Ma’olt. His white tuft and hair almost the same as when they lost him, his armor slightly scratched and burnt around the ribs and his smile unwavering. Tears fell down the man's face as a horse voice was about to say ‘I’m home’, but his eyes met with the ‘other’ Shiro and his joy stopped.

“Who the hell are you?” The man asked

“I’m Shiro, the former Black Paladin,” Shiro--uh, Kuro-- said as he wrapped an arm around Keith “Who the hell are you?”

“ _I’m_ Shiro, Takashi Shirogane,” Takashi straightened his back out and pushed the body helping him stand out from under him “I’m the _current_ Paladin of the Black lion.”

“Actually….” Hunk said drawn out “That’s Keith.”

“Keith?” Takashi looked to Keith “ _Keith”_ his voice lathered with joy and nothing but unadulterated love. His pure happiness to see Keith made everyone awkward in the room, “I’m so happy you listened, you never do that,” Shiro chuckled.

“I’m sorry, please don’t talk so familiarly to my husband,” Kuro commented as he pushed Keith behind him protecting him and acting like an animal that is trying to take another’s mate.

“I don’t know who the hell you are, and why you have the same face as me, but Keith is _my_ husband!”

“Please, calm yourself,” Allura brought up her arms, “We have only just met and you are being--”

“I know all of you! We fought several battles together! You guys saved me countless times from the Garla and…. Keith, you saved me from myself more times than I can count. I have nightmares and you are kind and gentle. You wake me with a hug and reassuring words, even though you’re bad at it and you don’t know what to say I don’t care because you’re there!” Shiro was brought to his knees and the men that saved him cuffed his hands behind him “What are you doing?!”

“You are becoming hostile, again, we told you we would do this if it happened again.”

“I am not becoming hostile!” Shiro tried to fight back but with two people’s weights holding his shoulders down he didn’t really have the fight in him. “Please, Lance, Pidge, Hunk! It’s me!”

“We don’t know who you are,” Kuro commented, his face not showing any emotion just yet as he waited for Shiro to say something else

“I'm  Takashi Shirogane! I'm Keith Shirogane's Husband!” Takashi yelled for, what felt like, the hundredth time his throat becoming sore and his voice scratching the walls of his esophagus. Even breathing at this point made his vocal cords think they were bleeding.

“Oh, really?” Kuro smiled, finally ready to use what he wanted to use from the start, “Unless you were the one making him _moan_ like that last night, I believe you've got the wrong man.”

“WHAT?” Shiro asked broken hearted “Keith…. You slept with another man?”

“...” Keith stayed silent, his eyes darting from Takashi to Kuro several times, his mind speeding through thoughts and ideas

“He didn't sleep with _another_ man, he slept with his husband: me,” Kuro smirked as he looked towards Takashi

“...we have to lock him up,” Coran said, “I have a bad feeling about this _clone_.”

“I'm not the clone! I'm not anyone's clone! I'm Shiro, your Shiro! The original!” Shiro called as Hunk and Lance walked up and started pulling him to the same podding system where Sendak was about three years ago. “Don't put me away! Please! Listen to me! I'm the real Shiro! We were fighting Zarkon! I was ejected into space and was picked up by another spacecraft. I've been searching for you guys for SO long--- KEITH! KEITH PLEASE, TELL THEM! I'M YOUR HUSBAND! We got married on Valderan, a month before we attacked Zarkon. We exchanged--”

“Don't make this any harder than it is,” Keith interrupted him, with a calm edgy tone, “I don't like forcing my husbands look alike to be in a cryostasis until we figure this out either….”

“I’M NOT A LOOK ALIKE! I'M THE REAL SHIRO!”

“You’ve got no grounds to prove that, _clone_ ” Kuro commented.

Takashi didn’t know what to say as his team dragged him to a prison, essentially. He watched Keith and a man that looks like him, but acted much more possessive and more closed off, share PDA that he knew Keith appreciated to be kept for just the two of them. Shiro watched the doors close out of the corner of his eyes and felt his whole world crumble. He knew he’d do the same thing if any ‘look alikes’ of the others showed up like this, but still. He thought they’d be more excited to see them. He thought they’d be more…. Open armed to see him finally find them after this long. He didn’t think they’d shut him out and automatically lock him up…. But he didn’t really think that they’d find him a replacement so fast…. A literal copy of himself that they all rather believe is him than the actual him.

What’s he going to do? How’s he going to convince his team that he’s not the bad guy here? That he’s not the copy, that he’s not a clone? How is the _real_ Shiro going to get to the bottom of this and get his husband back?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I am unsure if I am going to continue this book. Please comment if you think it is good enough to continue! Thank you for reading!


	2. The Clone?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst. Like.... holy Toledo I'm so sorry T.T

Kuro stared down Takashi. Kuro had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that this was wrong. He'd felt something was off for a while and just couldn't pinpoint what it was until last night when "the other Shiro" arrived. He teased said other Shiro last night, making Keith uncomfortable due to him being uncomfortable with sex, in general, let alone the team now assuming Kuro's ruse was true--however it was just that, a ruse to get a rise out of the 'imposter'. 

Kuro let out a deep sigh. He didn't know who he was anymore. Was he Shiro? Was he the true paladin of the Black lion? And if so why did she reject him when he returned home? The Lions can have more than one paladin, he fought Zarkon for long enough for the Black lion... so why couldn't he and Keith share? But then again why should they share? Keith was becoming a great leader, though he'd interrupted Keith without thinking wanting to prove to the team that he was still a stable and capable leader. He had sullied Keith's will to become someone better simply because he wanted the team to believe in him and not doubt him. He wanted them to know that he was still there even after a few months of losing him. Kuro knew that he wasn't who he was when he left the team. He felt different urges, and every innocent look he gave to his husband made Keith look mortified or torn. Kuro didn't know how to look at his husband anymore to make his husband return the loving looks, to give the shoulder touches, and to cuddle with him like they used to. It tore at Kuro that he was different and he knew it... but more importantly he knew why now... because of that flashback. because of those words he heard. Because of that memory. He was Kuron. He was an experiment, a clone, and the man in front of him, the man in a cryostasis because of a worried and scared team, is the real version of the man he could only hope to be. 

"So this is where you are," His husband's voice jumped him along with the feeling of his warm hand on his left shoulder

"Sorry--" Kuro said in a pained and torn tone. He wanted to tell Keith that nothing felt right anymore, that he felt that he was cheating life away from someone who so clearly deserves to be set free. Someone who had true pain and he ignored it too expertly. "-I just couldn't fall asleep..." Kuro tried to look at his husband, but Takashi's figure was so full of questions, was so full of answers that he just couldn't bring himself to tear his eyes away. 

"I feel bad for him," Keith said sliding his hand down Kuro's organic arm and folding their fingers together in an intimate hand holding session

"What do you mean?" 

"Well, if he's got all your memories like Coran and Pidge are thinking then that would explain why he thinks he's you... but I don't understand how the Vargi Tull’o crew found him. Like, it makes even less sense that Black would eject him than sending you to the Galra..." 

"Keith.... I'm sorry... I'm so embarrassed with how I acted earlier, I don't know what came over me. I feel like after I came back I've been losing myself more and more." 

"Don't worry about it, Shiro, I kind of understand where you were going with it after he reacted like that. I mean, if he really knew he would've acted differently." Keith leaned his hand on Kuro's shoulder letting out a sigh

"Oh?" 

"Well, you know I'm not one for intimacy, like hugging, shoulder touches, and this I'm fine with.... we've shared a whole two kisses but we've never had sex before, not even to celebrate our wedding. I don't think--even if he  _was_ real--that he, or you, would've reacted like that."

"Really?" 

"Yeah, I mean, you know better." Keith shrugged as he refused to look to the clone that was in the pod. He refused to look and entertain the thought that for the past four months he'd been sharing a bed with someone who wasn't his husband. 

"Well, I understand where he's coming from." Kuro said smiling fondly to Takashi, "I mean, we haven't slept together like you said, but say he has no grasp of the passage of time while being cloned, or wherever he's been until now. He had no idea if he's been gone for 10 minutes or 10,000 years. Then he finally reaches home, finally can see his family, his husband and sees him with someone who looks like just him.... cruelly claims that that man had had you under him unlike he's had you. The best he can assume is that you've changed, that you don't think you need him, or that you took it upon yourself to clone him because it had been just that long. Keith, it's my dream to have you be so comfortable with me that you let me hold you like that, but I respect your boundaries. I know that if I was in his position I would've reacted the same way. 'what if the clone is the better version of me?', 'what if the clone helped him in a way I could never?', 'what if he was able to open up about something that I couldn't?', stuff like that." Kuro sighed "Just think about it in your shoes. What if you came home to see a clone of yourself with your husband?" 

"I would kill him" Keith commented instantly, his grip tightening on Kuro's hand, then he took in a sharp breath, "Oh..." 

"Exactly," Kuro kissed the top of Keith's head "When everyone gets up we should let Takashi our and have a civil conversation." 

"Takashi?" 

"If I'm Shiro, and he's Shiro it's going to get complicated and confusing. So, one of us should go by our given name for the time being until we figure this thing out." Kuro shrugged, "Now, why don't we head to bed, today's been a long and confusing day. We should get some rest before we have to try to talk to Takashi." 

Keith slightly smiled as he followed Kuro towards their shared room. Keith loves these moments. These amazing moments when Kuro showed that his husband was still in there, that the trauma of being in the Galra's grip for the second time didn't totally destroy who he is. Keith just stared at their hands, connected and holding together tightly. This is when he didn't need to question if this was his husband or not. These were the moments, the blessed moments, that just showed him his husband was still in there and that he could get him out with fond touches and small talks. Nothing else mattered.

However, Keith feared that this was only momentary. The second him and Shiro got married Shiro seemed to change. Seemed to take more control over him. The second Shiro returned from the Galra, a second time, Shiro wasn't the man he married. He never raised a hand against him, but that didn't mean Keith didn't fear the unknown husband doing such. Keith tried to not look behind him to the familiar aura. To the potential of his marital life becoming one iota back to normal... the man in the mental prison seemed more human than the man holding his hand. Keith didn't want to tell his husband that he and the man trapped should be switched, that during night terrors the occasional switch to yellow irises told Keith that his husband was too far gone to be helped. Keith didn't know how to help this version of his husband, this too broken version of his already tortured husband. Keith shook at the fear of anger that could boil from his husband, it wasn't that he was violent.... but a lot had happened.... and when an  _animal_ is cornered they do brash things. 

How dare he think of his husband as an animal! But... earlier showed him that his husband would cross verbal bounds just to get a rise out of someone, making his team concerned and even come to him and ask him if he was safe. IF HE WAS SAFE! Lance and Hunk were the first to come and voice their concerns, knowing that Keith wasn't the physical type, they were worried that the current Shiro might be too destructive and that Keith might be hurt during the process of healing... if they even dared to call it that.

Keith tried to convince himself as he tried to tell Lance and Hunk that he was fine, that he was safe. He tried to convince them that Shiro was just trying to figure things out and the outbursts weren't physical. He didn't even dare to take off his jacket in front of the others anymore. In four months his husband's dreams had become physical.... but it wasn't Shiro's fault... It wasn't his fault that Keith's arms bruised and at one point his neck. The dreams of Shiro spitting out disgusted dialog as he held his husband in a chock hold only to pass out without even apologizing weren't his fault, and hopefully not his intention either. He'd ask about them in the morning and Keith  _had_ to tell him that they were from the fight.... he couldn't tell his husband that he was hurting him in the middle of the night without his knowledge.... he could never hurt his husband like that. 

 

Keith tried his best to hold hard to his husband's hand to ground him, to ground his thoughts and his spirit like Shiro had done countless times for him.

"You alright?" His husband asked, smiling and bringing him into an embrace to attempt to help the solemn look plastered on his face. The embrace was half-hearted that it hurt more than it helped. 

"I'm fine... just tired..." Keith couldn't open his heart up to this version like he wanted to, bottling everything up for four months was finally getting to his heart.

His heart had stopped hurting a month or so ago. It just felt void. It felt incomplete. It felt like he was in the middle of space, without a helmet, a home, a husband to call his own, oxygen void of his esophagus and any attempt at getting some would call out to the beast out in the distance that circled him like a shark in deep waters. But it would not attack unless Keith tried to survive, unless he attempted to reach out for life. The beast glowed yellow and dangerous, his voice stabbing into Keith's ears knowing that at this point it's words were worse than it's actions tearing Keith down to the depth of a nothingness where he knew Keith had absolutely no chance of coming out..... but Keith found himself back to see a small glimmer of hope. A small picture formed in his head of when he was a younger kid and his father had just left him when his Shiro was there holding him and telling him everything was going to be fine.... He felt that same love to the look alike who wandered onto their ship. He felt that pull to the man that was being accused of being a clone, a look alike, a Galra spy, a traitor. 

That's who he was... not who Shiro was.... Keith was the traitor... he was part a race that had damned so much to this universe. He'd tried to convince himself that not all Galra are like that, but.... saying that just made everything worse, it was the same back on Earth. The Garrison was the worst place to go, a dictatorship and a military school to put your troubled children or children that have nothing better to do with their lives. Keith was too much trouble, looking for answers to his knife. The Garrison knew something, but when they threw him away they said:

_"Kogane's are supposed to be the best pilots and the smartest... guess not all Kogane's can be the Alpha of the bunch."_

That struck Keith then. His father graduated top of his class, his father's father, and so on.... he was supposed to be like all the Kogane before him... but he wasn't. He didn't even know who he was. He fell under the 'not all Kogane' and the 'not all Galra' category.... but what did that leave him? He tried to hide behind Shiro, believing in him and being ecstatic when Shiro was allowed time to come and see him....

Shiro understood. Shiro loved him. Shiro held him and made a fire ignite in his heart--in his soul. But this man that he's with does nothing for him. He shows small signs of being Shiro, small signs of being a broken version of his husband and he felt terrible for falling out of love with a man that could be his husband just too far gone to be able to be someone that he could love. But it's the truth.... and right there, right in the other room, is a man that might be able to give him the kitten love that he needs so desperately. Coddle his bruises and be someone he can open himself up to again....

For heaven's sake, he just needs his husband back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the positive feedback! Like all my books, right now the updating is scattered but when I have a more stable schedule there will be weekly or bi-weekly updates! Thanks again and I hope you all liked this chapter too!


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